Cherry said that friend told her that he and Jandei ended up at the beach after getting off work late Saturday.They argued and Jandei punched him in the face, the friend told her. The friend then took off with Jandei's clothes and skateboard, he told her.

Hmmmmmm this guy sounds like he has anger issues. What if the guy went to check on him because, well he's running around naked maybe he needed help, Jandei gets into a confrontation and wants to fight him.

Tat'dGreaser:But my son is dead, and someone has to be held accountable.

Cherry said that friend told her that he and Jandei ended up at the beach after getting off work late Saturday.They argued and Jandei punched him in the face, the friend told her. The friend then took off with Jandei's clothes and skateboard, he told her.

Hmmmmmm this guy sounds like he has anger issues. What if the guy went to check on him because, well he's running around naked maybe he needed help, Jandei gets into a confrontation and wants to fight him.

You also have to remember that his "friend" has a direct interest in not looking like a dick for leaving his friend naked on a beach 10 miles from town.

Bungles:You also have to remember that his "friend" has a direct interest in not looking like a dick for leaving his friend naked on a beach 10 miles from town.

He can't say "Yeah, it was a cruel prank" now his friend is dead.

Well I don't understand why we automatically don't believe him. Every family member of someone killed this way says "oh he was such a good boy". If he was willing to punch his own friend in the face, is it far fetched that he'd get into a fight with a stranger?

Ok, so if people are wearing hoods in solidarity for Trevon, does this mean people are going to start going out naked in solidarity for this unfortunate fellow?Yes, MILFS, Cubans and college chicks of FL, drink a fifth and think that one over. ;-)

Tat'dGreaser:Bungles: You also have to remember that his "friend" has a direct interest in not looking like a dick for leaving his friend naked on a beach 10 miles from town.

He can't say "Yeah, it was a cruel prank" now his friend is dead.

Well I don't understand why we automatically don't believe him. Every family member of someone killed this way says "oh he was such a good boy". If he was willing to punch his own friend in the face, is it far fetched that he'd get into a fight with a stranger?

I'm not saying not to believe him, just to remember he has a vested interest here.

Aussie_As:Sure Australians get arrested for streaking in public if caught, but we've never claimed to be the land of the free. Our constitution doesn't provide for particular rights or freedoms very much, and it's just sort of left that if there isn't a law against it you're possibly free to do it.

Just what are Americans free to do in the land of the free that is special? Running home naked would be normal behaviour in Germany.

Like everything in the US, it depends on where you are at. A neighborhood in Seattle has a naked jogger, everyone has seen him, AFAIK, no one has called the cops and he certainly hasn't been shot. We moved out of that neighborhood almost 5 years ago, and a friend just told us about spotting him the other day. And he's frequently in a park that has trails through wooded areas. My girlfriend would see him when she was out running the trails, said he just nods and says hello and keeps jogging. She didn't feel threatened at all.

Tat'dGreaser:But my son is dead, and someone has to be held accountable.

Cherry said that friend told her that he and Jandei ended up at the beach after getting off work late Saturday.They argued and Jandei punched him in the face, the friend told her. The friend then took off with Jandei's clothes and skateboard, he told her.

Hmmmmmm this guy sounds like he has anger issues. What if the guy went to check on him because, well he's running around naked maybe he needed help, Jandei gets into a confrontation and wants to fight him.

Gunther:Bungles: Well there's a whole host of forensics that could illuminate the story:

That CSI stuff rarely pans out in the real world, unfortunately.

Bungles: Get the accused's exact breakdown of the escalation of the conversation

It's America, he can literally just say "He threatened me. I feared for my life" and refuse to answer any more questions.

More importantly, that CSI stuff is expensive and departmental budgets would rather that investigators not investigate than have to cut their sexy SWAT gear collection.

It's still fascinating to me that people want "just ask questions" about the victim's beach activities. Skinny dipping at night at a nude beach for (read the article for context) hippies and stealing a friend's clothes because it's funny are old hat.

Even if it weren't there are really no situations where a naked guy can threaten you in your moving vehicle.

IamAwake:way south: It isn't. But it's up to the state to bring charges.Sometimes they consider it a cut and dry matter and spare themselves the expense of losing at trial.

exactly - they know how much the Travon bit cost, why would they do that to themselves again? Budgets be tight, yo. Don't like it? Get the law changed - it's not the poh-poh's fault.

Exactly, but even before the law the police and state were central to the other half of this problem.The sloppy tag and bag that complicate the Trayvon case is the norm rather than an exception. Imagine trying to go to trial, while in the right, but the state has farked everything up from day one.A lot of people were going to jail or being put through the legal wringer for protecting themselves. Especially blacks who couldn't afford justice.

The police should be doing a better job investigating these things but they use the law as an out. Without the law they'd just jail you can call it done.

Far from the ideal of "innocent until proven guilty" on one hand, we've now come to "innocent because we just don't care to bother".

TheBigJerk:Gunther: Bungles: Well there's a whole host of forensics that could illuminate the story:

That CSI stuff rarely pans out in the real world, unfortunately.

Bungles: Get the accused's exact breakdown of the escalation of the conversation

It's America, he can literally just say "He threatened me. I feared for my life" and refuse to answer any more questions.

More importantly, that CSI stuff is expensive and departmental budgets would rather that investigators not investigate than have to cut their sexy SWAT gear collection.

It's still fascinating to me that people want "just ask questions" about the victim's beach activities. Skinny dipping at night at a nude beach for (read the article for context) hippies and stealing a friend's clothes because it's funny are old hat.

Even if it weren't there are really no situations where a naked guy can threaten you in your moving vehicle.

True...but if you get out to offer help, or ask a simple question, naked pedestrian CAN threaten you effectively.

/would like to know if the shooter had any physical marks, bruises, etc.//bet he doesn't...wouldn't be surprised if he exited the vehicle gun in hand.

OnlyM3:TuteTibiImperes [TotalFark]To be fair, in Florida, you're 6x more likely to get shot if you're black than if you're white in general. Now tell the rest of the story. For those -fark it, for ALL- shootings. What color is the shooter most likely to be.

I find it peculiar that all questions/theories are focused on the victim, clearly Stand Your Ground is not a law that should have found it's way in to the legal system. It is effectively legalizing murder whichever way you cut it.

I have no issue with self defense laws but SYG is not that, the driver created the situation where a death was the outcome, SYG creates situations where people will die unnecessarily. I know it's Florida but why is this law not repealed immediately?

Well no, it could have been another GZim tough guy looking for a conflict that he would never ever ever seek out if he wasn't armed and prepped to kill.

He could have just called the police as well if he was really concerned. There is no sensible scenario that ends with this guy getting shot to death.

this. anyone who says otherwise is just waiting for their own chance to mess up their fruit of the looms shouting 'stop running away or I'll shoot' and happening upon someone alone who doesnt stop. and is probably black.

kling_klang_bed:Ok, so if people are wearing hoods in solidarity for Trevon, does this mean people are going to start going out naked in solidarity for this unfortunate fellow?Yes, MILFS, Cubans and college chicks of FL, drink a fifth and think that one over. ;-)

Confabulat:eurotrash: I know it's Florida but why is this law not repealed immediately?

There is no demand from Florida voters to repeal it.

Because for every 1 idiot that gets into an argument and gets killed, there are 9 others who use the law to its effect - in the case in my area 3 thugs broke into a house, the owner told them to stop and they continued to climb through a window - where the home owner shot the kid.He gets off, the two kids that were involved got the murder charge for being there.

Its 3 am and three 18 yr old thugs break into your house, yeah you are sitting in a closet calling 911, no you shoot and ask questions later.

Tat'dGreaser:That's sad that your first thought would be this person is going to attack you.

Or, you know, maybe some of us have more experience than you with random weirdos on the street and know that many of them have drug, alcohol or mental problems and the possibility of them attacking you is considerable.

I once watched a guy stand right on the edge of the sidewalk and unpack a (clearly stolen) briefcase for nearly 10 minutes before he started to fall off the edge. I pulled him back onto the sidewalk because he was basically playing in traffic at that point and the guy went ballistic. Fortunately his insanity was limited to him screaming weird "prayers" in my face. I don't think it was a gypsy curse because that was years ago and no strange maladies have befallen me yet, but you never know.

Point being, confronting oddballs on the street, unless absolutely necessary, is a good way to get yourself or them hurt.People walking around acting strangely on the street have something wrong with them, this being the exception that proves the rule. Unless you're a professional, confronting them is ALWAYS the wrong choice unless it's the only one.

Tat'dGreaser:I don't know, my first thought would be this person needs help

They probably do, but that's not help I can provide them at 5 AM. The police can. Therefore, I would call 911 instead of getting my face chewed off by the crazy dude on bath salts. Where do you live, exactly?

Tat'dGreaser:Confabulat: I've spent most of my life in Florida and I've met my fair share of naked men roaming around in the middle of the night. Not a one of them is someone you'd want to have a conversation with.

I don't know, my first thought would be this person needs help

So you'd get out of your car and shoot him?

HotWingConspiracy: Well no, it could have been another GZim tough guy looking for a conflict that he would never ever ever seek out if he wasn't armed and prepped to kill.

He could have just called the police as well if he was really concerned. There is no sensible scenario that ends with this guy getting shot to death.

Ah, see we all have our preconceptions about everything.

Past is prelude.

And your ridiculous attempts at playing Devils Advocate here basically indicate you think the same thing.

Misconduc:1 idiot that gets into an argument and gets killed, there are 9 others who use the law to its effect

No, there's not. And the only study that ever showed that has been repeatedly and decisively shredded to bits in peer review.

Regardless, there is a distinct difference between shooting someone in the course of a home invasion and shooting someone on the side of the road after you stopped your car, turned around and confronted them.

A difference the law fails to recognize and a difference that makes it a bad law.

Very very few people have a problem with "castle doctrine" laws that allow you to shoot someone in your home if they broke in. Personally, I don't even have a problem with castle doctrine laws that allow you to shoot a clearly unarmed person committing a robbery in your home.

Only idiots, however, think those laws should expand to give you the "right" to shoot an unarmed, naked person on the street that you chose to confront of your own volition.

Philbb:If I saw someone running naked at 5:00 am I think my first thought would be to help the guy because some angry husband was on his heels.

Since when does streaking end up in a confrontation with anyone who isn't a police officer?

When the naked guy ended up naked in the first place because he decided to start punching his friend in the face, and apparently decided to punch a motorist in the face as well, after the motorist had done exactly as you said you would have done (gone back and offered him help).

Apparently Cherry wanted to be the next Trayvon Martin, and got his wish.